Hi I'm Jake

I've been a Mormon my entire life, and I honestly can't imagine being anything else. At first glance I'm the typical Mormon guy, I went on a two-year mission, I attended BYU, I was married in the Portland, Oregon Temple, and at 26 I have a son; however, I did not receive a testimony of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ until late in my senior year of high school. I was like many seniors, preoccupied with girls, sports and studying and not much time for anything else. When I realized that I was quickly approaching the age to go on a mission I decided I should read the Book of Mormon. I didn't fully understand what was happening at the time, but through reading that book and praying to God, I grew happier than I had ever been. When I finished reading it, I followed it's advice and asked my Heavenly Father if it was true. I remember feeling strongly in my heart, a witness from the Holy Ghost, that it did indeed contain the word of God and that because it is true, the Gospel really was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Many years, and a few thousand miles later, my testimony has only grown stronger. Now, I'm a Mormon because there is a living Prophet on earth today to whom God speaks. We are entitled and the church is run through revelation. We don't have to rely solely on God's counsel thousands of years ago, we can get tailor-made direction for our problems in todays vastly different world. I'm a Mormon because with the restoration of the Gospel came the restoration of God's power on earth to seal families together forever. I want to be with my wife and kids for eternity, not just this lifetime. Finally, I'm a Mormon because I believe in Jesus Christ and his redeeming Atonement. I am forever grateful to him for taking my sins upon himself. As I said, I can't imagine being anything but a Mormon because it is the best thing in the world.

I am a Webelos Scout Leader. Now, that may not sound like a church related activity, but in our faith, scouts is a big deal. We teach kids how to be self-reliant, leaders, and community minded. We also try to instill a strong and lasting faith in God that will sustain them throughout the rest of their life. With many competing influences in the world, the lessons learned in scouting can act as a compass for growing young men. Obviously though, I don't spend all of my time in scouts. I live my faith on a day to day basis by doing the basics; reading my scriptures, saying my prayers, fasting at times, giving meals to those in need, and attending church every Sunday. My wife and I agree with the teaching in the book of Mormon, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." We enjoy giving to those in need and have sponsored our own clothing drive for poor children. Perhaps the most important way that we live our faith is in our family. On Mondays we have what is called "Family Home Evening." This is a time where we can teach our son about Jesus Christ and the Gospel and where we can play together. Since we believe that the family is an eternal unit, building our family in this way is very important. I believe that it doesn't take large shows of faith to be a faithful member of the church, instead, we should live our faith on a day to day basis. By doing this we can always remain on the right path.